Folksonomies & tagging

Again I reiterate...this is a difficult task for me! The concept is too conceptual...a term I use in our work frequently but it has a different meaning for me in that case. I have created a delicious account and will wait to see if I visit it again anytime soon.

Hey, I have really moved forward this morning. It is at this point that I must thank my personal work colleague Ann who encouraged me to complete the tasks. Thankyou for your assistance Ann. It was made that much easier by your knowledge and experience of these tools. Today I 've managed to complete all the tasks associated with the 6th test drive by-

• creating a delicious account to start appreciating the value of such a service for me in the workplace, although I do like my favourites still... I work in two principal areas only;


• have visted technorati and viewed the style of blogspheres out there...much too busy for me;


• a review of the blogs I am following and added the RSS feeds of ABC twitter, At the Movies and potentially the biggest of all, Google - to my blog list. I am a bit worried that I might end up with too much to read and/or search through but nothing ventured as they say.....
  
• A look at http://www.librarything.com/ was particularly interesting for me. It must be the books and the public library connection that encouraged me to realise the wonderful social networking opportunities available to public libraries and book club groups. I prefer this option to a blog in this activity.
• Finally, adding a Shelfari widget to my blog, listing six of my most favourite reads. This had to be the best part for me and now I can't wait to show off to my friends...have you checked out my blog recently!! Now I might venture in to add some more wonderful features to the design and layout. Thanks slq for guiding me through this online learning program.

RSS Feeds

Wow!! How obscure was this for the baby boomer...I bravely thought that I could understand this but it is like jumping off the precipice...shades of reading Peter Straub's novels come back to haunt me again!

Anyway...I have subcribed to the food and art bloglines and got an instant gratification. However...I couldn't find the OPAL training blog to subscribe to it in time to complete this exercise adequately.

So now, whenever I am in need of comfort food I will find recipes to devour and images of art to stimulate my love of the visual. The alerts will be of interest I am sure, but I probably should have searched for new job postings and RSS feeds in Scotland, which is one of my dreams for the future. Ooops! Did I say that!

The use of RSS feeds in a library setting would be particularly useful. Especially where there is a need to monitor digital collection use and feedback. A simpler way to link to updates on subject content instead of having to troll through endless web sites for relevant content. A great tool for studying too I would think! That is another thing I should be doing...

Social Networking

For several reasons I have found myself totally out of time to really explore all the aspects of social networking services that are freely available, but I will attempt to respond in short.
The advantage in using this medium in real time is clearly visible...

• there is the global ability to share written content and visual content immediately,
• discussion can happen universally, bringing links and new networks to the table in a blink of course,
• the ability for libraries to market their best wares and advertise their services can have a profound affect on the way we continue to provide service and respond to client feedback via social networking products on-line,
• the digital possiblities means that there a fewer boundaries on a libraries content and adds enhancement to the relevance of specific collections and content to a world- wide audience.

I personally preferred the "quietness" of the ning site a great portal to join in a social network world. The content was neatly arranged and easy to navigate without all the fuss and imagery that goes with the earlier favoured social networking sites.

I can see the real benefits of joining twitter in order to get an abbreviated update of events, news and social content quickly. I love the fact that I can listen to the ABC radio daily on the drive to and from work and tune in to twitter comments posted on the ABC site each day. YES...with limited uploads on my personal home computer, I still rely on the old fashioned delivery of information via radio as well. Being a baby boomer means that I am a little slow to move towards the new information delivery systems, except where they are important to me in my work place of course! Needless to say it is a problem for me to record and remember all my passwords. But SKYPE is great isn't it...

The value of wikis globally and locally!

Past work experiences have not encouraged me to use wikis beyond checking wikipedia for a simple explanation to assist students searching for a short answer response to a school assignment. As part of the Licence2test drive course work, the examples available highlight the organisational value a wiki can bring to the workplace. I appreciate the phrase:-

• "communities of interest", to describe those organisations that have developed a wiki to share common knowledge and information;


• with a view to inviting and encouraging ongoing collaborative input and content;


• and as a means of posting documentation, images, experiences and/or policy information in one central location for internal or external use.

Here is an amazing example of one of the new technologies introduced to staff on the slq Library 2.0 wiki. (State Library of Queensland) welcoming visitors to Emerging media and new technology sessions. Below is an example of a tag cloud that you can create yourself.

This wiki is a fairly recent addition to cyberspace and used to document technologies introduced to slq library staff each month. The content is a valuable means of sharing knowledge in a library context. Have a look at the wiki if you have a chance.

Leap into webtechnology

This is my first serious attempt at participating in the interactive environment of web technology and it is a bit like jumping off the concrete pathway onto the sugarcane mulch alongside it. You never know if you are going to land safely, fully intact and whole, or whether you are going to regret the decision and come up covered in mud to your ankles.

One can understand the value of this instant form of interactive communication. It is an essential tool for today. Blogs are an example of connecting people and content, contributing to a positive lifelong learning experience and a means of sharing new information with a world wide audience.

The real point of this exercise is to overcome my lack of knowledge and begin the journey of developing a practical understanding of the technology, so that I may use it in a workplace context or as a personal means of communicating content of interest. Experiencing the technology is the best way to understand it therefore I am extremely grateful for the learning opportunity to gain a new licence, hopefully!